Google Offering $100 AdWords Coupon - STAY AWAY!

Many of this Blog’s visitors have their own Blogs and Websites. Some of them use Google to promote their sites. Google is an important part of my own site promotion. At the risk of Google dropping my positive ranking, I feel I must share this information with you. If Google is offering you a $100 AdWords free trial, STAY AWAY!!! You WILL be billed for all ads running past your trial and you will not know when that is. There is no notification until you are billed; then it’s too late. They require your credit card number upfront (probably to guarantee they can screw you later).

Many Bloggers and Website editors have received this “coupon” and signed up for the program. Why not? It’s free…NOT! They have realized the hard way that this is a scam by Google.

Just two weeks ago, on a flight home from California, I was fortunate to sit next to a Google employee, specifically, an AdWords consultant. He offered me tips on promoting my sites—I was grateful. Although the tips he offered were legitimate, and free, he did not mention this coupon scam.

The Google tools he recommended were:

*Google Insights
*Google Analytics
*Google Trends
*Google Webmaster

I also “squeezed” out of him the best tip for getting Google’s attention to your site (something he was not comfortable relaying due to confidentiality terms of his job at Google); inbound links from “related” Websites is the most effective way to get ranked by Google.

Back to the scam. Although I will not use the $100 coupon, and definitely DO NOT recommend my viewers do either, I do suggest Blog and Website editors utilize the tools listed above and provided free through Google.

Happy Blogging!

How to Promote Your Book

Since I’ve recently been on the topic of book promotion, I think I’ll go one more. It’s a trying ordeal to compose and publish a book, but selling it can be the biggest and most frustrating part of the journey. So I believe this topic to be the most relevant to authors, especially newly published authors.

The key to selling books is exposure; if no one knows about your book, they won’t buy it. So how do we get noticed in this competitive field? Statistically, most books are not sold through traditional brick and mortar book stores. 52 percent of all book sold are sold via mail order, online, book clubs, discount stores, and nontraditional retail outlets. Since 2006, online sales have nearly doubled and are expected to increase steadily year after year.

I suppose then the answer is to get online. Personally, I’ve been working this method of marketing for three years. Just for fun, Google me and see how much exposure I have accumulated—“Carol Denbow.” Now some of my search results are for recent news unrelated to books (I’m a golfer in a small town, always makes the news!). But for the most part, you’ll see a massive number of links to my books and marketing articles, interviews, etc.

I have found the best means to gain online exposure is through author interviews and submitting book related articles to article sites such as Amazines.com and EzineArticles.

Join sites like Author & Book Event Center (get in the Author Spotlight for great front page exposure).

The restaurant business is one of the toughest out there. Even as a competitive business (as we are), there is a saying amongst restaurant owners, that is, “where there’s a restaurant, build another and they will come.” Ever heard the expression, “restaurant row?” This is a tough business and we must work together.

So with that in mind, I’d like to ask that all published authors add a comment to this post and tell us what your most successful marketing tool has been. Let’s share our ideas and get some books sold!

Vol. 6 / Research & Permission

Non-fiction is written through research, and we are a fortunate generation to have the internet available to do our research. Using the search engines like Google and Yahoo, nearly every existing topic entered will return several resources. The library is a good source for research as well. For each fact you accumulate for your book, keep notes on where you found the information and who provided it to the location you found it, i.e., what website, book, newspaper, journal, article, etc. You will need to source all your information in your book including the date when the information was printed.

You can post free requests for information on your subject at the Para Publishing website. These may include the personal stories or experiences of others. See “Para Publishing” below.

A rule of thumb is never copy more than three words in sequence of another persons work (copyright infringement). If you want to use someone else’s work word-for-word as part of your book, such as a quote or research document, you will need written permission from that person.

Your written request should include the original authors name, the title and copyright date of the work, a page number or reference site of the work, and exactly what part in total you are requesting to use. You can condense this information into a letter form, but be very specific on all details of their work. Include your name, contact information, and what you plan to use their work in conjunction with, i.e., your book title. Offer to give them credit in the book and source their name and work on the page where the work will be included. Include the following:

• Your name, address, and all contact information
• Addressed to?
• Date
• A letter similar to this:

I am writing a book tentatively titled, “John Writes a Book.” I would like your permission to include the excerpts as described below in any and all editions of the book for worldwide distribution, and in all promoting and free and paid advertizing.

In exchange for your permission, you will be listed in my Acknowledgments, names and titles index (if included in your book), and sources on the page the excerpts appear. I will also send you a copy of the finished book.

I hope you will agree to give your quality work greater exposure.

For your convenience, enclosed are a self-addressed stamped envelope and a copy of this letter for your records.

• Signature
• Include on a new page:

Material to be reprinted: Excerpts from the book “The Way is to Write.” Page 222, section begins with “Only you can write a book.” Ends with, “Are you a good writer.” Total 17 lines. Copyright date: 2001

• A line for them to sign if they grant permission, “Permission granted,” as well as a line underneath denying permission, “Permission denied.” Include a place for them to date the document along with their signature.

The internet has made an easier job of locating people. Start immediately seeking out your needed permissions for it can take a long time to receive a response. Use the search engines to locate writers and professionals for permission. If that fails, contact the publisher of the work. If you can’t obtain permission, don’t use it.

Resources:
Para Publishing marketplace newsletter archives: http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/newsletter.cfm

E-zine author; Carol Denbow
Author of: Are You Ready to Be Your Own Boss? (2006 Plain & Simple Books, LLC)
Stress Relief for the Working Stiff (summer 2008 Publish America)
A Book Inside, Writing, publishing, and selling your story
(Summer 2008 Plain & Simple Books, LLC))

Visit Carol’s Website at http://www.BooksByDenbow.Weebly.com